Chapter 118 - 75: Opportunity (2)

The Superpower Users were gradually growing more and more exhausted.

They were covered in blood—some their own, some from the Mutant Beasts—and the stench was unbearable.

Their movements inevitably began to slow.

A faint sound seemed to drift from the distance. Most of the others didn’t notice it, but Isaiah Langley felt a sharp, piercing pain in his ears!

His slashing attacks faltered for a few seconds, and he was nearly bitten on the shoulder by a Mutant Beast that lunged at him.

Fortunately, Marcus Monroe reacted in a flash, pulling him back and swinging his knife horizontally at the creature’s neck.

The blow landed squarely on the Mutant Beast. Blood spurted out, and it howled, but instead of retreating, it lunged with even greater ferocity!

Marcus Monroe clashed with it for several rounds before seizing an opportunity. He dropped and rolled underneath it, holding his knife up. As he passed, he sliced open the Mutant Beast’s entire abdomen!

Isaiah Langley rushed to his side, cutting down another pouncing Mutant Beast while shouting, "Something’s not right! Their attacks are getting stronger!"

It was true!

It wasn’t just him; everyone else had felt it keenly as well.

’Did they notice our tempo slowing down and decide to press their attack?’

’Were they holding back before?’

Some Mutant Beasts certainly possessed that level of intelligence, but not all of them did.

But the scene before them was clearly a coordinated effort!

’If it’s a group, then there must be a leader...’

Marcus Monroe was astonished by his own conclusion.

People had always believed the Beast Tide was an instinctive gathering of Mutant Beasts, an act driven by an overwhelming craving for human flesh.

Perhaps that was part of the truth.

’But maybe... maybe they’ve overcome the barriers between species to obey the commands of a powerful leader?’

Isaiah Langley then roared, "I heard a sound just now! It seemed like they launched this new offensive right after that!"

His analytical mind had already connected the two events, arriving at the same conclusion as Marcus Monroe.

"Get Paige Summers over here!" Marcus Monroe said urgently.

Isaiah Langley hesitated for two seconds, then went.

Paige Summers had just retrieved the Crossbow Arrows that Sean Raines had collected for her. Though the poison coating them had diminished, they were better than nothing. Upon hearing Isaiah Langley’s message, she quickly made her way to Marcus Monroe’s side.

"These Mutant Beasts aren’t a disorganized mob," Marcus Monroe explained quickly, thrusting a flare gun into her hand. "The Alpha Beast must be nearby. Get ready. We’ll carve a path for you, and you’ll take the opportunity to investigate! If it’s really there, we need to take it out first!"

In truth, Isaiah Langley was better suited for this task.

But he was injured. Though it wasn’t serious, his stamina wouldn’t hold up. Sending him out would be a death sentence; he likely wouldn’t survive long enough to return.

Even though he knew Paige Summers was also exhausted, Marcus Monroe hardened his heart and gave the mission to her—the only other viable candidate.

Paige Summers said nothing, simply nodding in acknowledgement.

Marcus Monroe quickly adjusted their strategy.

His squad would spearhead a breakthrough while the others provided cover, ensuring Paige Summers could get through safely.

Nearby, Sean Raines’s lips tightened. He was furious.

Anyone could see how dangerous it was to search for the Alpha Beast at a time like this. In his eyes, that flare gun was a death warrant.

’If there really is an Alpha Beast, its intelligence must be exceptional. How could it possibly fail to notice Paige Summers firing a flare?’

’This is just sending her to be cannon fodder!’

And so, feeling he had no other choice, he took off after Paige Summers the moment she burst through the line...

Martin Warren muttered, "That kid!" as he zapped a Mutant Beast, knocking it off its feet.

Fighting back-to-back with him, Marcus Monroe’s expression darkened.

’Women probably prefer that kind of man, don’t they? The kind who can protect them when it matters most. Not some cold-hearted guy like me who just sends them into danger!’ His heart sank. Forcing the thought away, he unleashed a ring of white, bladed light from his hand, decapitating the Mutant Beast before him.

But no matter what, he didn’t believe he had made the wrong choice.

’Right now, Paige Summers’s speed might even be greater than mine. And I have to admit, after fighting for so long, she’s in the best physical condition of anyone here!’

While the others were locked in a desperate struggle with the Mutant Beasts, Paige Summers, having broken through the battle line, was surprised to find someone following her.

She didn’t ask for a reason. It wasn’t that she didn’t care; she was just more focused on finding the potential Alpha Beast as quickly as possible.

Nothing was more important than that!

Finding a clue wouldn’t be easy. Her hearing was nowhere near as sharp as Isaiah Langley’s, so relying on sound was unlikely to work. "Do you have any talismans that could help?" she asked.

Sean Raines thought for a moment, then pulled a piece of talisman paper from within his robes.

It was blank.

He said, "Just a moment."

He spread the paper on a flat rock, bit his index finger, and smeared the blood onto the tip of his wooden sword. Using the sword as a brush, he began to draw.

As an heir to The Taoist Order, his blood was precious; he considered a single drop of his to be worth an entire bowl of anyone else’s.

If it weren’t for Paige Summers, he would never have consented to creating a blood talisman with his own hands.

Meanwhile, an oblivious Paige Summers kept watch. Stray Mutant Beasts, drawn by the scent of blood—especially after Sean Raines had bitten his finger—would occasionally approach.

Wielding her Crossbow and long knife in tandem, she managed to keep the area around Sean Raines secure.

Several minutes later, Sean Raines lowered his sword and let out a breath. "It’s done."

As he spoke, he picked up the talisman paper. With a flick of his wrist, it vanished, and in its place appeared a butterfly, its wings fluttering.

Paige Summers glanced at it and saw that it was made of paper.

The paper butterfly circled in the air for a moment, then shot off in a single direction!

"Follow it!"

Paige Summers shot off first, with Sean Raines right behind her. With one possessing incredible speed and the other using talisman paper to teleport, they gradually left the few pursuing Mutant Beasts in the dust.

The paper butterfly flew for about a kilometer before veering into a rocky cliff face.

Paige Summers slowed her pace, tightening her grip on her Crossbow and long knife.

She could feel that something was different here.

Behind the layers of overlapping rock, she sensed a deeply unsettling presence.